The Strawmen
Saving Faded Dreams
© 2003 The Strawmen (634479119828)
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Jangly guitar pop diary about love, God, and desperation. . .not necessarily in that order.
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This record is a catchy collection of pop tunes with just the right mix of jangle and melancholy to convince you this band plays from the heart. From the opening, "Let's ditch this haunted house and catch a bus downtown"(Runaway) to "Now that my heart is gone, I'm a harmless man" (Amputate), the songs could be a soundtrack for most of our lives. One reviewer (NotLame.com) says "Saving Faded Dreams" is "Absolutely fantastic jangle-pop par-excellance! Imagine Del Amitri and REM-insprired Byrds jangle and you have The Strawmen. Oceans of gorgeous jangle, an army of melodic hooks and thought-provoking lyrics."
However. . .we all know there's too much BS and too many exclamation points used to sell stuff nowadays. So, in a modest attempt to limit our contribution to that general psychic pollution, CDBaby and The Strawmen are providing MP3 samples for all our songs. Click and see for yourself. If they don't float your boat, go find something that does. . .life is too short to listen to music you don't like. But if they do, then buy our CD so we can make a little money and do this again. Either way, Peace to you and yours.
The Strawmen are:
Bill Harmon: Lead singer, lyricist, guitarist, and songwriter. . .Bill once upon a time had the rare opportunity to pitch some songs to the late Johnny Cash in person. The Man in Black didn't care for those particular tunes, but appreciated Bill's spunk (Bill had chased Cash down in an open field on Cash's property) and told him to "never put that guitar down". Bill has never been quite sure of the wisdom of that advice.
Mark Harmon: Bassist, guitarist, songwriter, background vocalist, recording engineer, and producer. . .Mark's love for the bass shows in his lyrical approach to the instrument. If you like bass parts that contribute to the atmosphere as well as provide a rock-solid bottom end, then you'll like Mark's playing. Check out the sample from Track 12 ("I Don't Live There Anymore") to get a flavor. Mark and Bill are brothers.
David Leonhardt: Main guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and hook-meister extraordinaire. . .David's inspiration for many of his guitar parts comes from Johnny Marr of "The Smiths". You can hear Dave's chimey melodies particularly well on "Can't Satisfy," "Saving Faded Dreams," and "The Reason Why."
"Saving Faded Dreams" also features:
Mike Roe: Producer, guitarist, background vocalist and relentless promoter. Mike is on the road a lot with "The Lost Dogs" and "The 77s" and is always talking up The Strawmen. Mike's tasteful electric and acoustic guitar work is all over the record.
Bruce Spencer: Drummer for "The 77s", Bruce volunteered to play drums on this record just because he liked the songs. He's a musician's musician.
Scott Reams: Percussion and post-production work.
reviews
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Great CD - Record another one please
author: Timothy AllenA great follow-up to their first effort. Good songwriting and great music. I enjoy listening to any/all of the 77s in any incarnation they may present. Keep on recording great stuff.
one of my favorite power pop albums
author: Calvin CottonI've been listening to this a lot the past few weeks. Terrific guitar hooks and hamony vocals. Mr. Melody is in the house! Excellent all around. If you like stuff like Tommy Keene, Velvet Crush or early to mid-period 77s, this is for you. As usual with anything associated with the 77s family, a great piece of music.
Just what I was looking for
author: Aron DietzelA very solid number from beginnig to end. You can tell these guys are veterans! I rarely buy music in the stores anymore. There seems to be nothing new. I buy 90% of my music on line. I saw this cd through a link from the 77s.com web-site and knew it would soon be mine. It was worth every penny.
I'm not going to be bashful about this find
author: Eric SorensenI'm not going to be bashful about this find. I did a "Byrds" word search on the CDBaby website, listened to a few soundbites and I was quite impressed - so much so, that I encouraged Bruce Brodeen to add this disc to his Not Lame online catalog. This is one excellent album that features pop/rock tunes in the same ilk as Smart Brown Handbag, Ghost Of An American Airman, Wanderlust and REM. "Find A Reason" is my co-Song of the Month for May; this terrific tune features Peter Buck-inspired chiming guitar riffs and opens like a jangly variation of the Yardbirds' "Heart Full Of Soul." If the second disc is as well-crafted as Saving Faded Dreams, it will be worth the wait!
Saving Faded Dreams is gleaming power pop heaven
author: Kevin Matthews (Fufkin.com)Released on 77s mainstay (and producer) Mike Roe's Fools of the World label, Saving Faded Dreams is gleaming power pop heaven with the right amount of twang to keep things interesting. So expect Beach Boy harmonies, Who pyrotechnics and Byrds melodic fragility from such quality material like "Runaway," "Cut It Loose" and "The Reason Why."
Do yourself a favor and buy this CD!
author: Richard CharltonHow often do you hear a CD for the first time and immediately feel compelled to share it with your friends. For myself, not as often as I would hope. However, The Strawmen’s latest CD “Saving Faded Dreams” definitely falls into this category. I first heard samples on the band’s website before it was released and was left wanting more. After receiving the CD, I realized I was listening to some of the best new music I’d heard in a while. Friends that I have shared it with have compared the music to groups such as R.E.M. and U2, which is certainly not a bad thing. I’m sure there are several comparisons, but what it boils down to is great music. If you’re a fan of Pop/Rock (great harmonies & guitar work and of course lyrically), then this is a must buy for your collection. But don’t take my word for it, go to the band’s website at www.thestrawmen.com and listen to the samples provided. If you need place to begin, try, “Find A Reason,” or “Old News,” or “Runaway,” or any song for that matter. You will soon find yourself clicking the “buy” button.
If you don't have it,you're missing something
author: Bill KeenomWhen you walk into your local record store or try to shop for a CD online, you just have no idea what's inside by looking at a cover or reading the liner notes. You have thousands of possible choices and you can't afford to get them all. But I'm telling you, when I heard this one I felt like I'd found the proverbial needle in the haystack. Saving Faded Dreams instantly joined the top ten of all recordings I ever owned, and I feel like I've uncovered a treasure. There's enough tasty guitar playing and songwriting on this CD to keep it in in heavy rotation in my bedroom. I've been tempted to ask my wife to hide it from me so I don't wear the thing out the first week I own it. I went immediately to their website to learn all I could about The Strawmen, and I'm just sorry it took me so long to find out about these guys and what they do. I grew up loving The Byrds and The Flying Burritos Brothers and The Allman Brothers, and while this is different than all those I just mentioned, The Strawmen reminded me what it was like to discover a great band and the joy they can bring to that place in your brain that craves great music. Do yourself the favor of buying this CD today. You'll never regret it.
Lyrically poignant with some of the most intoxicating music I've heard all year.
author: The Phantom Tollbooth - Darryl A. ArmstrongThere was once a band that became a legend in Christian music. The name of that band is the 77s. This album is not by that band. Although all of the current members of the Sevens are present here, the core of the Strawmen are brothers Bill Harmon (lead vocals, acoustic guitars) and Mark Harmon (bass, electric/acoustic guitars, keyboards, background vocals) with David Leonhardt (electric/acoustic guitars). Mike Roe introduced this album at Cornerstone by saying that fans of the Sevens' albums Pray Naked and Drowning with Land in Sight would like this album, the Strawmen's second. Their first album, At Home, was little more than a collection of garage tapes which managed to help resurrect the Sevens back in the earlier 90s and become a legend in it's own right. Over the years fans have marveled at that little gem and wished for more from the Harmon brothers. This album is proof that dreams can come true. Plus, Mike Roe's on it too! The music is very reminiscent of the more melodic compostions from Pray Naked (a few of which were, in fact, originally Strawmen songs), coupling rock & roll with the slow jam in ways that defy simple description. This is an album for you to crank up, lay back and mellow out. Even the artwork by Brian Heydn evokes groovy feelings. Lyrically poignant with some of the most intoxicating music I've heard all year, Savig Faded Dreams is sure to become another legend in both the careers of the Sevens and the Strawmen. The only thing I want to know is when's the next album, boys?